What color is the cream in Hakuin’s Egg So Cream Zen Meditation?

[quadberry]

What color is the cream in Hakuin’s Egg So Cream Zen Meditation?

 

I’ve looked at different translations of this meditation, and it doesn’t specify a color, leading me to believe it was common knowledge what color the so cream was, when this was written. This is what is written in most translations regarding color:

 

“Let him visualize placed on the crown of his head, that celestial So ointment, about as much as a duck's egg, pure in color and fragrance.”

 

Now, at first, due do some translations calling it a ‘butter’ meditation, I imagined the ‘celestial So ointment’ as Ghee or a kind of soft golden butter color and consistency. But later, realizing that ‘butter’ might’ve been a poor translation, I pictured the ointment as pure white and with a soft, more fluid consistency of heavy whipping cream. (Which I later realized wasn’t correct, because heavy whipping cream wouldn’t ‘melt’ down the body as specified in all translations.”

 

Be very curious if any native Japanese speaker has any insights in the original writings. Or anyone at all.

 

The reason I bring it up: I think it makes a difference. There are distinct physiological differences that occur between sending a white cream liquid through the body and a golden one. You can test this yourself.

 

Cheers.

[bax44]

Quadberry cream egg .

[Astral Monk]

Isnt the color incidental/unimportant? 

 

Isnt it the sensation of movement downward that is the key to this meditation?

 

I suggest a blind person will find it just as effective.

 

8)

[quadberry]

On 12/27/2017 at 4:17 PM, bax44 said:

Quadberry cream egg .

Is this an answer?

 

On 1/16/2018 at 1:22 AM, Astral Monk said:

Isnt the color incidental/unimportant? 

 

Isnt it the sensation of movement downward that is the key to this meditation?

 

I suggest a blind person will find it just as effective.

 

8)

How could you possibly know if the color is incidental or unimportant? Have you healed from serious meditators disease like Hakuin? If so, then what color did you use? If not, and you don't have any insight into the translation of the text as I've asked, then you are just wildly conjecturing on what aspects of the practice text may or may not be important. Check yourself.

[Astral Monk]

Are you suggesting that blind ppl or colorblind ppl cant use this meditation at all?

 

8)